Schoolgirls’ heads smashed into ground in prolonged park attack

Friends Zoe Robson, 11, left and Courtney Faid, 11, were attacked as they played at a South Shore park

Michael Holmes

Published:09:43Thursday 26 May 2016

Two schoolgirls had their heads smashed into the ground in a prolonged attack by two other youngsters in a park.

Courtney Faid, 11, was taken to hospital following the assault, which also saw her friend, Zoe Robson, also 11, beaten up.

Police have appealed for help in catching two older girls, thought to be around 14 or 15, and a blonde haired boy of the same age.

Courtney’s grandmother Pauline Faid, 48, said: “I was absolutely furious. I was livid. If I had found them I would have dealt with them myself.

“I was so, so angry, my blood was boiling.”

Courtney was playing with Zoe and a male pal at Highfield Road Park in South Shore, when police said they got into a row with two girls, around 7.45pm last Wednesday.

The avid Man Utd fan, who is in her last year at Roseacre Primary Academy, and Zoe were then pushed over, held down, had their hair pulled, and their heads slammed into the ground, Lancashire Police said. The attack only ended when the pair managed to break free and run off.

Pauline, of Lostock Gardens, South Shore, said Courtney was taken to Blackpool Victoria Hospital with suspected concussion, and insisted the attack was unprovoked.

She said: “The lad was shouting, but I don’t know what. It was nothing to do with the girls. His brother came to pick him up and the attack happened about two minutes after he left. Courtney was sat on a fence looking away, when one of the girls just ran up and pushed her off backwards.

“She said one of the girls and the lad held her down, while the other girl started kicking her and stamping on her, and banging her head off the floor.”

South Shore Academy pupil Zoe’s mum, Jo Vaughan, 44, of Abbey Road, added: “Zoe was in tears. Her hair was all matted with grass. She was saying they were kept on the park for over an hour, and the girls would not let them get away. They terrorised them.”

Courtney has been told by her grandmother not to go back to Highfield Road Park. Pauline added: “It’s not the first attack that has happened on that park. Something really needs to be done on there.”

In the past two months, police have been called to three incidents on the park – two reports of criminal damage and one of youths throwing chairs.

PC John Gorst, of Blackpool Police, said: “This was a nasty incident which has left the victims extremely shaken, and we are determined to find those responsible. We have trawled CCTV within the park, but haven’t managed to find anything. We are now urging surrounding businesses to check footage from between 7.30pm and 8.30pm on May 18.

The first girl was white, around 5ft 4ins and slim with dark hair, which was tied up in a ‘doughnut’ and a red bow. She wore grey leggings and a black and white striped top.

The second was described as white, around 5ft 3ins tall, and slim with shoulder length blonde hair. She was wearing a black crop top with a heart design, and denim shorts.

The boy was aged around 14 or 15, had blonde hair in a ‘comb-over’ style.

Karen Pennington, secretary of the Friends of Highfield Road Park group, said: “We were very shocked and saddened to hear of the recent attack that took place on the park.

“As we have recently had CCTV fitted, we had hoped the police would be able to see what had happened.

“We have cooperated fully with the police but, unfortunately, to our knowledge the attack took place just out of shot of the cameras and so there was no more that we could do to help.”